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Daily Debrief: Android phone living up to the hype?

After more than a year of anticipation and speculation, Google's Android phone finally has a body to call home. CNET Review's senior editor Bonnie Cha got her hands on the HTC device and gives it an overall favorable review. On this edition of the Daily...

3:31 / October 16, 2008

Transcript

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>> Kara: Welcome to the Daily Debrief, I'm CNET's Kara Suboi here with CNET Reviews Senior Editor, Bonnie Cha who has spent a lot of time
with the Android.
>> Bonnie: This little guy, yeah.
>> Kara: Yeah, and you guys gave it a pretty good rating overall.
>> Bonnie: Yeah, we gave it 3 1/2 stars. What we didn't like was the hardware, I mean, we loved Google Android and we think it has a lot
of potential.
>> Kara: Sure
>> Bonnie: Right now it's a little limited because there aren't a lot of apps in the App Store but I think as more become available
these devices will really kind of kick in and people will be able to use it any way they want.
>> Kara: Let's talk about the insides first --
>> Bonnie: Sure
>> Kara: the whole idea of the Google platform --
>> Bonnie: Right
>> Kara: explain how that works and how it is.
>> Bonnie: So, if -- the beauty of Google is because it's open source that developers can come and design applications for various things,
ya know. It has GPS so I'm sure someone will come with a location based service --
>> Kara: Sure
>> Bonnie: or something like that. There's shopping applications and things like that, so that's, ya know, that's the beauty of the
Google Android platform is that freedom to create product or, ya know, applications for --
>> Kara: Sure
>> Bonnie: the device, yeah.
>> Kara: Absolutely, so that's the good about the insides --
>> Bonnie: Yes
>> Kara: but the outside is just an HGC phone.
>> Bonnie: It is an HGC phone and they have a reputation for making really good devices, I've loved their devices in the past so I'm a
little disappointed by this one.
>> Kara: Okay
>> Bonnie: Just some of the things that I didn't like, it's starting to creak a little bit. [inaudible] I was on a phone call the other
day and I was like, "What is that creaking noise," then I realized it was from the phone.
>> Kara: It's your phone.
>> Bonnie: Yeah, and it doesn't have a 3 point 5 millimeter headphone jack.
>> Kara: Yeah, why wouldn't you standardize that?
>> Bonnie: Yeah, I don't know and again, they've done it in the past on other devices so I'm not sure why they decided they -- use this
USB port, so you need an audio adapter to get any good pair of headphones in, so, ya know, that was a decision that weren't not really
sure why they made, yeah.
>> Kara: How's the cordia keyboard?
>> Bonnie: That's the other thing, so it has this little weird bottom part here that juts out.
>> Kara: It angles.
>> Bonnie: Yeah, but -- oh, I mean, if you're looking at it, it looks fine, ya know, it's pretty spacious, it's got some room but when
you're actually holding it this gets in the way so it makes it a little awkward --
>> Kara: Sure
>> Bonnie: to type messages and I made a lot of errors just because of this little thing here, so. Yeah, that was a weird ergonomic
decision too so, again, ya know, I'm just not overall impressed by the hardware.
>> Kara: So, of course, everyone can not help but compare this to the iPhone --
>> Bonnie: Yes
>> Kara: is this gonna take over the iPhone?
>> Bonnie: Right
>> Kara: Initial reaction?
>> Bonnie: Not right now --
>> Kara: Not right now?
>> Bonnie: Not in its currency, I think, and I said this in my review, I think this is for the early adapters, those guys who really
just like to tinker around their devices. It doesn't have just -- you pick it up and you know what to do with it, ya know?
>> Kara: Sure
>> Bonnie: Like the iPhone, so, again, I don't think it's there yet. As more applications become available and new devices come out
I think it has the potential to but right now it's just -- early adapters -- I wouldn't even recommend it for business users' right
now 'cause there's --
>> Kara: No Shane surfer.
>> Bonnie: No Shane surfer, yeah, and.
>> Kara: So, early adapters can get their hands on it early Wednesday the 22nd --
>> Bonnie: The 22nd, yes.
>> Kara: and pricing?
>> Bonnie: It's $179.99 with a 2 year contract, so.
>> Kara: Okay
>> Bonnie: Pretty decent pricing actually.
>> Kara: Yeah, absolutely, I think maybe even more affordable than the iPhone --
>> Bonnie: Right, right, exactly.
>> Kara: for a lot of people. So, yeah, ya know, the first offering.
>> Bonnie: Yeah, ya know, not -- I'm really excited to see more devices for sure, so.
>> Kara: Terrific, thank you so much.
>> Bonnie: Of course.
>> Kara: CNET Reviews Senior Editor, Bonnie Cha, I'm CNET's Kara Suboi, we'll see you on the next Daily Debrief.
^M00:03:28
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